Child Abuse Trauma

Child Abuse Trauma

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Child Abuse Trauma

Introduction

Child abuse is one of the major social dilemmas that has impacted the history of a number of countries. There are about 3 million reports that highlight cases of child abuse in the United States of America. Although a number of steps have been taken to overcome, still it seems to increase with every passing day. One of the major steps is the foster care system, acting as a shelter for children who have faced abuse in any stage of their life. Foster care is a system in which an individual is placed into a home or certified caregiver’s place so that a child can be treated with required care and concern. (Zeanah, et, al. 2018). Usually, foster care is termed as a resource center that can help an individual to restart a new life under the care of a new family but other side of the picture reflects an entirely different story, there is equal ratio of setbacks which can render traumatic tendencies in a child. There are a number of factors and aspects that infer that child abuse can be traumatic for children in foster care.

Discussion

Children who have suffered abuse usually face severe behavioral and health problems that may have a long-lasting impact. It is significant to note that foster care system has evolved over centuries as a tool that is serving as a means for providing protection and care to the children who are removed from their families due to some reasons. It is evident that a child who has faced child abuse is mentally depressed, intellectually absent and physically tormented. A simple connotation of foster care system asserts a temporary system of care that can help a child overcome the gaps in his life. (Toth, et, al. 2019). Foster care is not a preplanned or designed platform for the survival of a child and usually, it creates instability for the children. Children are doomed to face uncertainty taking into account the fact that a child is meant to move from one place to another without any informed consent and will. A child is already distressed and the exposure to uncertain realms affect the mental abilities of a child. He became suspicious and there are a number of children who literally feel unsafe.

A child who has seen any physical violence is unable to react normal or let others feel conformable because of insecurities. He is always worried about new faces and new exposure, taking into consideration when such a child is placed in foster care, the system may be unable to groom the child to give him a homely feel. In fact, a system can pose a serious threat to the life of a child because a child feels traumatic. (Harden, et, al. 2019). Although the system is providing all basic needs still those needs may not be sufficient to address the existence of a child and number of times it is the “gap in emotional appeals” that can make a child feel negated and rejected and he may feel traumatic.

Abuse is a challenge that can be addressed only with meaningful associations and emotional guidance. (Cohen, et, al. 2018). It is asserted, although the sole aim is to place a child in a healthy environment, on the side, a child is separated from his closest and most dear relationships. In such a case, foster care can be traumatic for a child because he will not be able to get himself engaged in the newly given environment. Support acts as a catch line for the existence of an individual. (Zeanah, et, al. 2018). It is important to note that not all the foster parents are able to give the required support to a child and it can be the cause of another abuse because there would be lack of understanding and misunderstood ideologies may lead to hampered relationships.

Reunification is another aspect that is significant to consider taking into account that there are a number of foster care systems in which less attention is given to the unification of children and foster parents but more stress is given to the elimination of family vacuum. (Toth, et, al. 2019). It would not be wrong to say that an individual feel objectified and alienated in such realms because there is a lack of emotional attachment and misunderstood conception. A child may misunderstand their love as a threat or a major restriction to his life paving the way for trauma.

Foster care system has an underlying objective of legal proceedings in order to ensure child safety but it may appear as legal risk placement. (Cohen, et, al. 2018). There are a number of cases in which children may not fit under the familial attire and they are treated as rebellious creature. It is more demoralizing for a child to abide by the set pattern despite all circumstances. Such scenarios result in rebellious children who are either extremists or depressed, failing to endure an identity. (Cohen, et, al. 2018).

Conclusion

Adhering to all the facts and features, it can be inferred that foster care is not a justified platform that will always act as a home to an abused child, taking into account that all circumstances must be considered because a single imposed situation can distort the life of an individual. Thus, the foster care system can let an abused child feel traumatic even if all legal, ethical and moral obligations are fulfilled and enacted.

References

Cohen, J. A., Deblinger, E., & Mannarino, A. P. (2018). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children and families. Psychotherapy Research, 28(1), 47-57.

Harden, B. J., Parra, L. J., & Duncan, A. D. (2019). The Influence of Trauma Exposure on Children’s Outcomes. In Trauma-Informed Schools (pp. 33-60). Springer, Cham.

Toth, S. L., & Manly, J. T. (2019). Developmental Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect: Implications for Intervention. Child Development Perspectives, 13(1), 59-64.

Zeanah, C. H., & Humphreys, K. L. (2018). Child abuse and neglect. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 57(9), 637-644.